FL Derby Day Sets Handle Record

Gulfstream Park had $27,255,863 in all-sources handle for March 28, breaking its Florida Derby Day record of $26,820,951 that was set March 29, 2014.

 

The new Florida Derby Day record is the highest for any day's all-sources handle at Gulfstream, except for days when the South Florida track was the site of the Breeders' Cup.

 

Gulfstream held the Breeders' Cup on Saturdays in 1989, 1992, and 1999. Track handle figures for those days were not readily available the morning of March 29.

 

Gulfstream's March 28 all-sources handle included on-track handle of $3.302 million—a record for the new building it opened in 2006. The previous on-track record of $3.196 million was set on Florida Derby Day in 2013.

 

Gulfstream had 14 races on Florida Derby Day this year and last year, both with the Besilu Stables Florida Derby (gr. I) as the final race.

 

The handle numbers are from a review of charts from Equibase Co.

 

Both days were rain-free with seven graded stakes. Gulfstream averaged 9.2 starters per race each day.

 

Within several days Gulfstream will release additional details of its 2015 Florida Derby Day handle, including live and offsite betting.

 

Multi-race wagering figures for March 28's final races were $815,491 for the 50-cent minimum Pick 4, $481,556 for the 50-cent minimum Pick 5 and $363,551 for the 20-cent only Pick 6.

 

Wagering on the Florida Derby (not including multi-race bets) was 2.2 times that of wagering on the Louisiana Derby (gr. II), also run March 28, at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots in New Orleans.

 

Both of those Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) preps had nine starters. The Louisiana Derby was run at 6:29 p.m. EDT and the Florida Derby was run at 6:59 p.m. EDT.

 

The win-place-show (WPS) betting on the Florida Derby was $1,585,621. Exacta, trifecta and superfecta wagering was a combined $2,132,587. The combination of the exotic and WPS bets was $3,718,288.

 

For the Louisiana Derby, WPS betting was $805,131 and the three exotic bets were a combined $868,717—for a total $1,673,848.

 

The Louisiana Derby was one of four graded stakes on Fair Grounds' 14-race card.

 

Full-card handle numbers were not readily available for March 28 for Fair Grounds, a subsidiary of Churchill Downs Inc. (CDI).

 

On most days, CDI does not allow the full-card handle number from Fair Grounds and its other three tracks to be included in charts published by Equibase.